Home is where the heart is
by albertadreams
Summary: JISA/ sets in right after the end of S05E18/ Candles in the Wind – Jack makes his way to France but was this the right decision? This story explores Jack and Lisa's time in France.
1. Chapter 1

**Home is where the heart is**

JISA/ sets in right after the end of S05E18/ Candles in the Wind – Jack makes his way to France but was this the right decision? This story explores Jack and Lisa's time in France.

(Hey people, it's me. I started this story-suggestion about the same time I started "Stay Strong" but focused on the latter more. So "Home is where the heart is" has been sleeping since then and after finishing Stay Strong something was really missing – writing. Not that my daily work or my brain lets me but I wrote a few words whenever I could and so this happened. It's the first chapter of a story...I don't know how long it's gonna be or where I want to take it. As always – let's see. Furthermore, don't wait for quick updates because there won't be any. I will write whenever I can but unfortunately this won't be very often. And last thing - just you know – I neither speak a single French word nor have I been to Paris yet. All I can do when using French - bank on the translator HA! So, please have mercy with my French...and my English, as always :) )

Chapter 1

They told him that she was here. At _Hippodrome de Longchamp_ – Paris' most popular racing court. Equine high society at its best, as Jack would call it and unsurprisingly he felt extremely uncomfortable and out of place while walking through the posh hallways of the main building. Luckily it wasn't a racing day and so there were only a few other people besides him that, for whatever reason, had ended up here. He didn't pay too much attention to them as his eyes were scanning the surroundings, looking out for the outdoor venue where he expected Lisa to be at a meeting. That's what the man in the clean black suit at the front desk told him. After landing at _Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport_ Jack had absolutely no idea where to go from there. Lisa had never given him an address where she stayed during her time here in the French capital. He only knew that she rented an apartment somewhere in the city while having her second residence in Toulon. Since it's always business that brought her here, Jack figured that she would be at the racing court and this was the only thing he had to go on in this strange country.

Once there and after the clumsy conversation with the front-desk guy, Jack asked for a room where he could get a change of clothes and leave his bag. In his causal clothes – a pair of comfortable jeans, a beige shirt and his hat and boots, of course – he immediately felt much more like himself.  
Whether it was a good idea or not to travel to France, Jack got only one destination and as long as he was with her everything else would be bearable. Even when it meant to be cramped in an air plane for over ten hours. Jack couldn't remember the last time he travelled for so long and such a distance and he couldn't remember the last time he felt so terrible. Something he better didn't mention to her.

With another annoyed side glance at a perfectly looking large floral arrangement that stuck in a bronze and richly ornamented jug, Jack exited through the back doors of the lobby and found himself on a gravel path that run through a little park. The boxwood hedges left and right of the pathway were neatly trimmed at knee-height, even the different bushes and trees that adorned the flawless lawn were kept immaculate. Among them on a low pedestal stood a full-sized horse statue that rose majestically from the ground. Some famous race horse, Jack assumed but kept walking towards the signpost at the fork in the path. Fortunately it told him not only in French but also in English that the venue was on the right hand side. Not wasting any time Jack followed the way with scrunching gravel underneath his boots. After passing a pavilion which stood almost hidden behind some conifers and a fountain, the path ended in a round square that was bounded by a low iron fence. Several garden tables and chairs stood nicely arranged in front of a building which was mostly made out of glass. Some quite gigantic palm trees stood next to the entrance where a waiter just appeared to carry a tray of drinks to the guests at one of the tables. Jack had finally arrived at the outside venue.

While he still stood on the same spot where the park path changed to the round square of the venue, his eyes wandered around, searching for her familiar face.  
And then he spotted her sitting among a group of people around a table under a black pine tree. Lively talking and laughter filled the air, glasses of white wine were wandering up and down and pens were hurrying over sheets of paper. With their colourful dresses and suits they looked similar to the flowerbeds of violets that Jack had passed on his way.  
He could only see Lisa's face from the side as she sat almost hidden behind a woman that wore a ostentatious yellow hat and talked with wildly gesticulating hands in a high pitched voice.

Although Jack was dying to get to her he didn't dare to step up to the table. Maybe it was an important business meeting. Maybe interrupting would let her appear unprofessional. But maybe it was just the fact that Jack didn't want to meet and talk to any of those wealthy people she was sitting with. He didn't want to cause a stir. Waiting was the better option, until the meeting was over.

Yet, somehow their eyes met for a brief moment as she was coincidentally looking into his direction and he was searching for an empty place to sit. He could tell that she didn't realized who was standing there. It took a few seconds before she turned her head again, this time looking straight into his eyes, a frown starting to appear on her forehead. He smiled and moved a hand to his hat. She recognized him and hesitated for a second. Without breaking the eye contact she slowly rose from her chair, mumbled something to the group of people and started to walk towards him. Her face in complete surprise. The table had gone quiet. Dozen eyes were watching her from behind.

Now that she was on her feet, Jack noticed how beautiful she looked in that summer dress that swirled lightly around her knees. It was as blue as a field of forget-me-not flowers and shone bright in the light of the sun. Around her waistline a ribbon of the same colour that was tightened and knotted into a loose bow. The complexion of her skin seemed different. It looked tanned and her dyed hair let it appear even darker. She looked like coming from a well deserved vacation. Jack had never realized what kind of effect the stays in France had on her. In contrast to her life in Canada that is.

With open hands and a still surprised face she walked up close to him.  
"Hi.", he said with a low voice when she was within earshot.  
"Wha-?"  
But she was already enfolded in his arms, wrapping her own around his neck and leaning the side of her head against his. At this moment Jack finally felt the warmth of home again which he already missed so badly. At this strange place, in this strange country he at least had her which was enough to retrieve what he left behind. Despite the curious looks of the people, Jack couldn't help but almost lift her off the ground to draw her even closer against him. Over the years this had grown into a habit after a longer time of separation. For a moment they just stood like this – the world around them standing still.

"What are you doing here, Jack?", she asked after he set her back on the ground.  
"I needed to see you."  
"So you fly all the way to France?"  
His hand wandered up to her face to caress her cheek with his thumb.  
"I promised that someday I would come."

Her head fell slightly to the side and she rose an eyebrow at him. He noticed the subtle twitch in the corner of her mouth.  
"Who would have thought you keep _that_ promise, ey?", she teased but he kept watching her with a loving smile on his lips. It wasn't just her who was surprised. He himself still couldn't believe he was standing here. Far away from home. In a foreign country that spoke a language he didn't quite master.

The persistence eyes of the people around the table was piercing and bothered him. Maybe he should let her go back and catch up after the meeting.  
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt your-"  
"Oh don't be ridiculous, Jack. Come and meet them. Have a glass of wine."  
"I-". but she already led him by the hand over to the table with a wide smile on her face. He knew he just made her day, her stay here a whole lot better. A surprise she would have never expected.

"So, Lisa?", an elderly woman in a violet dress started when the couple arrived at the big table that was loaded with plates of fresh fruits and bread that lay under a layer of papers and magazines. The business gathering seemed to have an important meeting going on but was now totally distracted by the cowboy's tall and iconic appearance. Men like him weren't to be seen in Europe very often so he certainly did cause the stir he wanted to avoid first.  
"Yes, we are really curious now.", a blond mid-aged woman spoke up from the left corner of the table, speaking to Lisa but never taking her eyes off the old cowboy. Yet, all Lisa did was to take a seat and give him the chance to introduce himself since she knew they would treat him like a puppy that she carried around like an accessory. He was a grown man.

"Jack Bartlett, nice to meet you.", he introduced himself and took off his hat as he sat down next to her as the table went quiet for another time. An uncomfortable quietness surrounded them now as the gathering was trying to understand who was sitting there.  
"Jack...Jack...Jack, wait. That Jack Bartlett?", the woman in the violet dress broke the silence with a dubious tone in her voice.  
"Yes.", Lisa confirmed and proudly looked at him while her hand found its way into his that lay in his lap. Jack didn't miss the sceptical and surprised look on the woman's face and he didn't like it.  
An awkward silence hung above the table.

"Well, isn't that a surprise.", a young man with styled black hair that shimmered almost slimy in a layer of hair gel called out and everyone winced for a split of a second by the interruption.  
Jack couldn't quite classify if he meant his sudden appearance or his appearance at all. Apparently Lisa had told them about him but not about the many differences that lay between them. His age for instance.  
But despite his worries, the blond mid-aged woman at the left end of the table rose her glass of wine.  
"Bienvenue à Paris, Monsieur Bartlett.", she nodded at him and the rest of the table joined in to toast him.

"Bienvenue.", Lisa whispered beside him with a meaningful smile and slightly squeezed his hand. Jack forced himself to return the hospitality yet still sensed the dishonesty and scepticism that was radiating from the people's posture and facial expressions. Something Lisa was either missing or ignoring.


	2. Chapter 2

(I'm really glad you guys are back with me. So here is chapter 2 for you)

Chapter 2

Entering through the apartment door, brought him into a lifestyle he seldom experienced on Lisa. Jack knew that their lives were different and that she was a member of the classy society but he rarely really joined her into this world. They spent their times at Heartland mostly or going out to locations that he liked and felt comfortable with. The goat-among-the-sheep-situations quickly subsided after the Polo event he got himself roped into and Lisa learned to deal with his habits. The lifestyle he was living was far away from posh locations and five-course-dinners, champagne and meals that only took up one third of your plate and were decorated with a leaf of lettuce. He didn't like the attention-seeking people with their empty talks and over-sized egos. People that acted as if they carried around a bank of money in the pockets of their pants.  
The sudden picture of Dan Hartfield popped up before his eyes and he was glad that the man hadn't been at the business-meeting earlier. That Lisa's ex was in Paris, too and that one point of her business-travels was Dan Hartfield himself, bothered the cowboy. He wasn't too fond of the fact that the two were still maintaining such a close contact but maybe Lisa needed a man on her side that understood the side of her life, Jack could not put up with easily. Maybe she needed those kind of talks and support from someone who could give it to her. Of course, she had a business to run. It just was something he didn't quite get – the reason she stuck around with him although they were so different. Not only in their lifestyle but also in person.

Right now she stood in the middle of the apartment's huge living room that took up as much space as Heartland's kitchen and living room together. A three-piece beige leather suite was located in the centre of the room and faced towards the panorama window that stretched over the entire wall and thus gave an incredible view across the city. Like Lego-bricks the buildings popped out from the ground and spread till the far off horizon. The late-afternoon sun was reflected in a head-high and wide wall mirror that let the room appear even bigger. Several white shelves and a black grand piano stood carefully arranged against the walls. Everything was held in a white and nude colour that would make you feel guilty to leave any dust or dirt behind.

"This is one fancy apartment.", Jack let slip as he was still busy to look around and spot the many objects that decorated the inside. The indoor furnishing was a mixture of vintage and modern style which Jack had never seen anywhere before. He was used to the Canadian rustic-style homes, with a lot of natural colours and material. Something that represented his way of living but right now he felt like a western decoration that was mistakenly put into the wrong room.  
Lisa however, fit in here perfectly and he could picture her sitting on that couch, sunken into the cushions, with a glass of wine in her hand and enjoying the mesmerizing skyline.  
"Oh it's nothing really. It's Jane's and she lets me stay here while she is travelling herself.", Lisa explained and indicated him to follow her through the apartment.  
Jack had no idea who Jane was but nodded anyway: "That's kind of her."

A narrow hallway which walls were decorated with many impersonal framed pictures of flowers that were either photographed or painted led to a half-rounded area where a couple more doors stood ajar and gave only a glimpse of what lay behind.  
"Yeah, but, I'm sure you gonna like my house in Toulon. It's outside the city on a little hill, overlooking the sea.", she pushed a door open while speaking and pointed into the bedroom that was much more modern furnished than the living room area yet had another wide window across the entire wall. Instead of the white, blue coloured walls kept the room pretty dark.  
"You can put your bag in here. Bathroom is over there.", she pointed back towards the opposite side. Jack nodded again, squeezed past her and with a side glance at the huge bed that, he had to admit in his jet-lagged and tired state, looked quiet comfy, dropped his luggage before turning back at her.

Blue eyes shone up at him and with that forget-me-not coloured dress against the dark-blue wall she looked like a flower herself. She was the most valuable thing the apartment held and for Jack it was clear that there was nothing, no fancy grand piano or a view across Paris, that could compete with her. He couldn't keep up with her.

Coming to France felt more and more like a big mistake he had gotten himself into. The culture, the people, Lisa's fancy side of life – things that made him feel so out of place, so below value that he almost felt bad for getting Lisa into a situation like the one at the open venue of the racing court. He didn't miss the side-glances, the sceptical looks and the dubious remarks he and Lisa got when the business meeting went on. It was obvious that Lisa's friends held a different picture of who Jack Bartlett was. Their cowboy imagination probably didn't include a 70 year old man that already had two granddaughters himself and a long life story of ups and downs to tell.

"Do you want something to drink?", she ripped him from his thoughts, a hand on his arm and an encouraging smile trying to bring him back into the present.  
"A glass of water would be just fine.", he heard himself saying with a dry throat.  
"'kay."

They made their way back through the narrow hallway to the front area of the apartment where adjacent to the living-room was an open sun-lit kitchen. An enormous kitchen-counter stood right in the middle of the room whereas the rest of the furniture was placed around it.  
Lisa went straight to one of the cabinets to draw two glasses from it.  
"So how long are you planning to stay?", she took up the conversation again and he came to a halt on the other side of the large counter not daring to place his hands on the clean surface.

On the cap-drive to her apartment they had talked briefly about his reason to snatch the next plane and come straight to Europe. She believed that there was more to it than just his need to see her. In the last five years he had always been waiting patiently for her to come back home. So something must have been going on at Heartland, she assumed. Yet, although Jack summed up the things that were going on currently, he assured that he had missed her. With all those relationship-related decisions from Lou and Peter, Tim and Miranda and Ty's intention of proposing to Amy, Jack felt his own relationship being taken away by the distance and an Ex-husband.

"I thought maybe a week? The woman at the airport didn't mention a return flight.", Jack spun the glass of water that Lisa had placed in front of him between his fingers.  
"You bought your ticket at the airport?"  
"Yes. Why?"  
Lisa chuckled and turned away, obviously trying to not make him feel uncomfortable but he wanted to know what was so funny.  
"What?"  
She looked up again, amusement sparkling in her eyes.  
"Well...it's just...Jack, you can book your flight online. It's cheaper and it gives you a variety of return flights right away.", she laughed under her breath.  
Yeah, so Lou said but Jack knew that the unboundedness of the internet would have been even more overwhelming than talking to a flight attendant.  
His face must have shown some deep lines as Lisa made a dapper wave of her hand.  
"You know what, it's fine. It doesn't matter. That way you can still decide if you want to stay a bit longer."  
"Well, I don't know. I don't want to leave the girls alone too long."  
"Of course." She stepped around the counter now and walked up to him to wrap her arms around his waist. "I'm really glad that you are here though and I can't wait to spend the next days with you."  
Her excitement was obvious and he couldn't bring himself to ask her yet another time if she would follow him back into his comfort zone. It was his turn now to cut back his habits even though it was almost tearing him apart to stand here in this life he didn't fit into. He would stay, trying to make the best of it. Lisa deserved it. She had been putting up with him for too long already.  
"Me too. But I really could use a bit of sleep right now.", Jack committed, really feeling the exhaustion of the journey in his bones.  
"Sure. How about you take a nap and I will prepare us some dinner?"  
"That would be wonderful", he let go of her. "Can I use your phone? I should try and call Lou so she can stop worrying if I made it to France in one piece."  
Lisa laughed and handed him the phone that was laying on the kitchen counter.  
"Tell them hello from me and that I'm really glad they let you go."  
"I will.", he winked and made his way back to the hallway, where she stopped him with a soft voice.  
"Jack."  
He turned. "Yes?"  
A sigh. A smile. Happiness playing around her beautiful face.  
"I love you."  
\- Something he will never understand.


	3. Chapter 3

(After a really long time of absence, here comes the next chapter! Enjoy)

Chapter 3

She woke up late the next morning, noticing that Jack was no longer next to her in the king size bed. His part of the duvet was pushed up against her side and exposed the empty mattress to her right. A tired sigh run through her throat when Lisa remembered Jack's ongoing tossing and moving that had stolen all night's rest. They had spent nights together before but she had never experienced him that unsettled. Whatever she tried to calm him down, it didn't help and so neither of them found any sleep tonight. It was only very early in the morning, right after dawn, when Jack eventually put an end to his suffering and got up and she finally fell asleep.

Despite the late hour the room was filled with darkness. The curtains of the big window opposite the bed were still shut and thus didn't only prevent the daylight from floating in but also hid the mesmerizing view across the city. Waking up to the sea of Paris' unique architecture was one of Lisa's favourite things Jane's apartment had. Although she cherished her own breathtaking view from the residence in Toulon, the change of setting was nice. The city life was nice, The feeling of being part of something big was nice. Lisa loved the excitement in the centre of the city, the diversity of people, the culture and the history that was carved into the stone of nearly every building. Ever so often it gave her the feeling of being so small, being just a tiny puzzle piece of an entire universe.

France has really become her second home after all those years and part of her seriously considered to move to Europe. The thought had accompanied her long before she met Jack and this was a serious problem that often left her with head- and heartache. It felt as if she was having two affairs at the same time. Two lovers, yet one couldn't be maintained with the other in tow. One needed to be sacrificed and it was the hardest thing to make a decision on that matter. She wanted both. She needed both.

The muffled city noises outside floated consistently through the window. Although Lisa kind of never really noticed them anymore after all this time, they were probably one reason why Jack hadn't found any sleep this night.

Lisa swung her legs over the edge of the bed and her bare feet brushed lightly across the soft fabric of the carpet before her toes sank fully into it as she got up. The tall mirror on the wardrobe door threw a tired looking mid-aged woman back at her. She was wearing a wrinkled pyjama-set of a light grey colour. Her loose hair fell awkwardly onto her shoulders and caused Lisa to grab a hair band from the nightstand and fasten them quickly into a ponytail. A yawn accidentally escaped her mouth. When on earth had she been feeling that worn out the last time?  
She put on a white cotton cardigan before leaving the bedroom and making her way through the apartment.

"Hey, good morning.", he greeted as soon as she walked into the kitchen. There was a magazine laying on the table in front of him and his reading glasses were sitting on the crook of his nose from where he looked over the rim at her.  
"Hey", with an heavy sigh she dropped onto one of the chairs and ran a hand through her slightly messy hair. His hand moved to his glasses to take them off and he was eyeing her now with a guilty expression.

"Oh Lis', I'm sorry. I kept you up all night. Maybe I should take the couch."  
This indeed was a good idea. For her peace at least, not for his. Sleeping on the couch would cause another sleepless night and bone-aches the next morning.  
"No. No, you don't. I'm alright."  
She knew she was not. And he knew, too. The lines on his face didn't change.

"Just promise me you'll try and relax a bit while you're here, 'kay?"  
"I'll try. It's just-"  
"Strange place, strange noises. I know, I know but you need to get some sleep some time, especially since you are-"  
"Old?"  
"Jet lagged", she finished with a confused look and a slightly shaking head. There was it again. His lack of self-confidence when being in her part of the world. The reason why it was highly doubtful that he would ever like the idea of her moving to France full time, left alone to join her on this journey. The reason she hadn't told him yet. It would end in a break-up, Lisa was sure. A painful twinge shot through her heart by the thought of never seeing him again.

There were days when she just had no idea how to express her feelings to him. Sometimes he was so set in his opinion that the differences between them wouldn't make a relationship work. Yeah, they shared their ups and downs in those past five years but wouldn't she have already left if she couldn't deal with those divergences? Their relationship didn't need common grounds or similarities, they had much more than that. Yet, sometimes it was difficult to explain to him that he indeed was enough and not only for her but for the entire family and all his friends. The thoughtfulness and down-to-earthness were much more important to her than the things he believed she was looking for.

"Did you get some coffee yet?"- a welcoming change of topic she treated herself with.  
"No, your fancy coffee machine wasn't willing to cooperate with an old man like me ..."  
"Stop, Jack.", she laughed lightly while pushing herself up and turning towards the kitchen counter.  
"What?"  
"Talking like that. Where is that coming from all of a sudden?" With one simple push of a button Jack hadn't even noticed when examining the coffee machine earlier, the device went on and started to heat up the water in the tank.  
"What? My age? If you haven't noticed yet, I'm an old, tired cowboy that flew half across the world to follow a much younger and even more beautiful woman that is very obviously out his league."  
"And I'm really glad he did.", she leaned over the kitchen table the same time she set down two plates and pressed her lips against his for a brief kiss. The grey in his eyes flashed up for split of a second and the boyish grin on his face when she pulled back made her shake her head in amusement. This man was really a mystery sometimes.

His gaze on her back hung like a heavy weight on her. He was watching her closely while she was setting the table for some breakfast.

Maybe this week was a welcome opportunity to prove to him that their lives did fit together. She had to find a way of proving it to him.

"So, we should make a plan on how we want to spend this week.", Lisa put the mugs filled with steaming coffee next to their plates and sat down.  
"What plan?"  
"Oh you know sightseeing and shopping and oh there is this restaurant in town, it has the best food in whole Europe."  
A shot of cream found its way into her mug and drew a white line through the black surface before the spinning spoon mixed up the content. Lisa was smiling to herself while picturing them together  
walking through the city of love. Sometimes she was a hopeless romantic when it came to her relationship with Jack.  
"Ugh, Lisa.-". Obviously, he wasn't and his crooked expression made clear that he wasn't having any of those imaginations.  
"We don't have much time in Paris. David has got a few horses he wants me to look at.", she explained.  
"David?"  
"Yeah, you know him. David Petit, the horse breeder in Toulon, I told you about?"  
"Oh yeah, right."  
"So, I was actually planning on leaving tomorrow but since your are here and Paris is the most beautiful city in Europe, I really want to show you around."  
Maybe she should have told him that she bought a herd of cows for him and that they were now grazing in her private garden in Toulon, waiting for him. Maybe that would have drawn his attention because shopping and sightseeing in Paris didn't convince him much.  
"C'mon. What do you say?", Lisa sighed and urged him out of his comfort-zone. The lines on his face softened up a bit after a moment of consideration.  
"Okay. Fine. But you know how I feel about big cities and too many people, Lisa."  
"Of course. We will make it short and simple, alright?", her hand reached over the table to grasp his. "I still can't believe you are here." Her wide smile brightened up the apartment even more.  
"Me neither.", he said, head shaking and squeezing her fingers.  
They both shared a laugh as they started to eat their breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

So, I need to get something off my chest.  
You know, you don't have to read this story, right?  
I don't need your hate comments about Lisa or Jack or both. If you don't like them then that's fine with me but why do you read my story then? To write a hate comment? Thank you, I am not interested.  
This IS a fan fiction and it clearly says in the introduction/info that it's about Jisa. It also says romance/family.  
If you don't like it, please stop wasting your precious time reading it. There are MANY stories about other Heartland couples out there – Enjoy them! Have a great time reading them! They are meant for you! This story might not be meant for you. If you don't have anything nice to say or constructive feedback to my writing that helps me to improve, then I ask you to not read any further.

This said, there is another thing I want to say: This story explores the time between the end of Season 5 and the beginning of Season 6 – means when Jack decides to travel to France to see Lisa. As most of us should know, their relationship ends soon after Lisa comes back from France. Obviously, something had been going on in France that made Jack feel very uncomfortable and Lisa hopeful that she could spend more time with him there; in a vacation house they considered buying. So, this is my version of what happened. If you have a better idea, go ahead and write it down. No one is stopping you from writing your own fan fiction. Maybe it's better than mine, why not. But if you can't deal with my version, then again...don't read it! No one forces you to do so.

Writing and reading fan fiction is for entertainment. To have a good time. To enjoy. To sink into a world that lets us forget everything that's going on outside. If my story doesn't have this effect on you, then I'm really sorry but I also don't depend on your opinion. I write because I enjoy it and I like to share it with those that are really looking for having a good time here on fan fiction. net.

If you still feel the desperate urge to spread hate… - sure, fine, whatever, thank you for your precious time you spend on writing.


	5. Chapter 5

(Thank you for your support on my last comment and Toni Pierce, no it wasn't about you. You're good. Always happy to read your reviews ;)  
So I will continue this story as planned and let me tell you, that Lisa is not a bad person. She is just happy and excited to have Jack there with her and yeah this kinda makes her blind to the fact that Jack isn't enjoying this stay in France at all. It's just my conclusion to what we got to see in the actual show. I'm just trying to make it fit to what we saw in Season 6. So please calm down and if you don't like my approach or Jisa then please read another story because this is MY approach and Jisa all the way.)

Chapter 4

It was terrible. Absolutely terrible.

Jack grabbed her hand that had been swinging back and forth the small gap between them as Lisa walked closely beside him. Every now and then her hand would brush against the side of his leg. Not on purpose but because of the little space they could give each other at the moment.  
She looked up, smiling before turning her eyes back on the extremely crowded side walk in front of them. He most probably gave her the wrong impression but Jack just needed to hold on to something. Something that felt familiar. Something like home. This strange and loud place was too overwhelming for his old and tired nerves.

Someone hit hard against his shoulder. Some guy in a long black trench coat who was squeezing past him and another dozen people, but before Jack could say anything he was already swallowed by the many bodies that spread like a carpet in front of them. An angry glance was the only thing Jack could shoot after him but the man didn't even notice.

They were walking along River Seine on Port de Suffren towards a bridge which name Lisa had told him about two minutes ago when she pointed at it in the distance. Now that they were coming closer and spotting it over the heads of all the people, Jack had to admit that the bridge wasn't that spectacular. Yeah, it was build in this typical European style but he had seen more massive bridges before. Bridges that spread across entire valleys. However, they weren't pushing through all the tourists to see the bridge. On the right-hand side parts of a very tall and enormous building peeped out from behind the trees that were lining up on either side of Quai Branly – a very busy street that was one source of the ongoing background noises.

It was about four o'clock and Lisa had already dragged him through half Paris. Right now they were walking towards the Eiffel Tower, which was, according to Lisa's plans, the last sight they would visit today before finding a nice restaurant where they could eat for supper. Jack could only imagine the expensive prizes that were waiting for him there and would have been happy to just return to Jane's apartment.

Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones with that kind of a plan to mount the tower today. Especially since the afternoon sun promised a nice sunset which was best seen form top of Paris' most popular attraction. Jack wasn't really keen to walk up a scaffold of steel and with a glance at the even more crowded plaza that surrounded the Eiffel Tower he wondered if there was ever something like a right time to get up there without the world's half population following.

Maybe they should have stayed on Jane's huge sofa where he had fallen asleep right after breakfast and while Lisa took a shower to get ready for the day. And that's where she had joined him after coming back from the bathroom. They both had been exhausted and tired after the restless night and could use a couple hours of sleep before making their way into the city centre.

Laying there with her back against his body, his arm around her middle and his nose in her hair was definitely more enjoyable than fighting through the streets of Paris. There were more people than Jack had ever seen in his life. Or maybe he had seen that many people but with more space around and particularly between them. Whereas he was used to wide roads, big trucks and open country, everything looked so small here and with all the people walking and driving around, space was even more limited.

After finally being able to cross the street and having the Eiffel Tower rising like a giant needle from the ground right in front of them, they made their way around it and onto the other side. The hight was mesmerizing, Jack had to admit. He had seen the city's landmark from postcards or photos Lisa sent him but he would have never imagined the actual size of it. The architecture was impressive – so strangely built but still robust enough to stand up right and withstand all forces. Looking up the network of steel revealed even more people that were flashing back and forth from behind. Many tourists were up there on the platforms and even more were waiting at the foot of the tower for their turn to get a ticket to enter.

They came to a halt many meters away from the Tower, where a little park spread about two-hundred meters up to something like a roundabout. On this side less people were blocking the way but the waiting queue was reaching from the foot of the Tower to the centre of the park.  
Jack was watching Lisa from the side. She looked as if she was trying to figure out whether it was a good idea to get in line and since she probably had been on the Eiffel Tower many times before, Jack didn't want to give her the feeling she had to do it again just for him. It was the last thing he wanted to do right now. It was enough already to stand here and see it from below.

"Lisa we really don't have to go up there. I mean look at all the people waiting. It's probably taking hours and to be honest I'm more then ready to end our sightseeing tour here. My feet hurt and I'm just exhausted."  
She still looked around as if she was trying to estimate the wait but gave in eventually.  
"Yeah. Yeah you are probably right.", finally her blue eyes moved up to his and she smiled.  
He sighed relieved, hope rising that they could go back to the apartment soon.  
"But let's take a picture before we go."  
"Of what?", he asked suspiciously.  
"Of us. I probably won't see a handsome cowboy in front of the Eiffel Tower ever again." The smirk on her lips told more than a thousand words. Her fingers were now fiddling with the collar of his jacket and brushed out the sides of it. She probably was just rearranging his clothes for a nice photo but Jack couldn't shake off the feeling that she was referring to his clothing style that he hadn't changed. Not even for this little trip to Europe he put on less eye-catching clothes.

Yeah okay, maybe he really did look out of place with his jeans jacket, his western boots and most obvious his black cowboy hat. But when looking around he sure wasn't the only one. There were so many people on the streets that stood out by their way of dressing that a cowboy hat could easily be missed among them all. Fashion was definitely written in capital letters over here and so it was like a big costume party in which he was playing the role of the old cowboy from the wild west.

When Lisa suddenly started to walk away from him, he quickly followed, afraid of losing her in the crowds.  
"So now what are you doing?", he was close behind her and leaned down a bit so his words were meeting her directly instead of being drowned by all the background noises.  
"Trying to find someone to take the picture." she explained and he could see her already pressing the camera button on her phone's screen.

It took him a bit before he understood her intention to ask someone for help and it was clear that to him this wasn't a good idea at all. They were in a city with thousands of others. Trust was probably the last thing that connected them all.

"You really shouldn't give your phone to some stranger. You don't even know these people."  
"It's fine Jack. No one is going to run away with it. That's what tourist do. Take pictures for one another.", she laughed and walked straight towards a close standing young man that, as Jack found, didn't look trustworthy at all.

Now who was standing out by his clothing?

The boy must have been something in his late teens and with his ripped jeans and the jacket that was sewed together with different patches of fabric, as well as the hair that was shaven off on the left side of his head, he looked as if he could really use a phone, Jack thought grumpy. On what purpose, he didn't know, but it was clear to him that he wasn't going to trust the boy soon.

Yet, without hesitation Lisa spoke something in French, then something in English when it turned out that the boy was German and didn't speak a single French word. Her mood had been light-hearted all day and it was impossible for Jack to understand how someone could keep a positive mind in everything that was going on in this city. There were so many aspects that made him want to take the next possible plane home, but before he could make further plans Lisa already turned back at him, grabbed his arm and walked a few meters away to a spot with less people in the background. She immediately found the right position next to him as if she had done this several times before. Her right arm went around his back, while her side nestled against him and her left hand came to a rest on his chest.

"Smile, Jack.", she commanded amused through clenched teeth herself, not taking her eyes off the camera and knowing exactly that he wasn't doing anything like that. So he forced himself to smile into the phone and not knowing what to do with his right arm, raised his hand as if he was greeting someone.  
It was over quickly. The boy hadn't taken off with the phone and was approaching them now to hand it over to Lisa.

"Danke sehr." , she nodded.

"Awe, looking good cowboy. Maybe I should consider selling this as a postcard motive to local souvenir shops." Her elbow landed softly between his rips and he looked over her shoulder at the photo. Well, it wasn't too bad but now that he was looking at himself and the woman and the setting, something bothered him. Something big. It would have been lie claiming that he didn't just looked out of place in this city but also next to her. She fit into this culture effortlessly. She fit into every culture. Every setting, every landscape would glow up when she was in it, but he didn't belong here. Maybe he didn't even belong with her.

"Very funny.", he just responded with a frown and hoped to never see this photo again.


	6. Chapter 6

(Sooo, well yes...it's been months since the last chapter and it's time to continue it. This chapter has taken me like months of writing since I wrote down a few lines every now and then. I'm not really happy about the chapter but I also don't want to let you wait any longer plus I want to carry on with the story. So here it is and it's finally off my desk HA)

Chapter 5

The side-lamp next to the couch turned the apartment into a warm atmosphere and put the multiple lights of the city into the background. The wide panorama window represented the nightly skyline of Paris beautifully. Like a sea of a thousand lights that were either sitting still on their spots or were moving around quickly. The view upon the city during the dark hours was different than it was during the day. The life however didn't change. It was the same ongoing hustle and bustle as it was in daylight. A city that was never standing still. Jane's apartment provided a nice distance to the chaos that was still echoing in Jack's ears. He wasn't used to all the noises and enjoyed the silence in the living room.

It was about nine o'clock in the evening and the couple had just returned from their sightseeing tour through Paris that they ended with a fabulous and also expensive meal in one of the best restaurants of the city. It had taken Jack a bit to adjust to the unfamiliar cuisine, but after the waiter returned to their table a third time, he finally chose one of the meals that actually sounded like something he had heard before. As always Jack had looked somewhat lost and uncomfortable at the place. The fancy and expensive interior furnishing didn't quite match with his appearance and let him shrink even more in his confidence. Yet, Lisa tried to cheer him up a bit until their meals were served.

The dinner had been expensive, but Jack paid for it nonetheless. Of course the prices were out of his imagination and Lisa could see him struggling with himself, his silent thoughts almost audible in her own head. She knew that Jack didn't like to spend a fortune on food, yet got rejected as she offered to at least split the bill. He was being a gentleman. She gratefully squeezed is hand before they left the restaurant and made their way home.

Now finally back at the apartment, they sunk into the cushions of the sofa. Their feet hurting and the tiredness written into their faces. Both of them recalling the day with different emotions.

"I won't have any problem sleeping tonight.", Jack said eventually. He was leaning back against the couch. His eyes shut and Lisa sitting to his left, mirroring the exact same position.  
A soft laugh rustled through her throat, before she responded. "I bet."  
"Now it's on me to apologize.", Lisa added after a little pause in which her eyes had been following a car's tail light as it moved up the street that lay right in front of the apartment.  
"For what?", he asked and led her attention back to the slowly evolving conversation.  
"Dragging you through half Paris."  
Amused and also exhausted he snorted slightly.  
"Let me consider my forgiveness."  
She laughed.  
"You know what? It was all worth it." Her arm hooked into his when she shifted to lean against his side. Her head dropped tiredly into his shoulder.  
"Well, thanks." the obvious ironic tone resonated in his voice, but the faint smile on his lips let her know that there was no need of consideration.

Her thoughts drifted off to all the things they had done today and all the things she wanted to do with him in the future. Maybe some travelling. Maybe spending alone-time in their vacation house that she was thinking of buying. Maybe here in Europe or maybe in the States. Maybe one in both. Who cares. As long as she could be with him. Lisa smiled to herself, calling herself lucky to have so many opportunities that were waiting for them to be taken and lived out.

Those things were kind of new to her. New and exciting. Sure, she had built up a life with Dan during their marriage, too. Still, those things had been more business-related than they were actually any good for their private relationship. This one kind of fell by the wayside. Business had always been more important and at the end destroyed whatever they had.

With Jack it was different. They shared a love-relationship that opened many doors of opportunities. It wasn't about the business. It was about them only.  
Although they had briefly stepped across the marriage-threshold, but returned quickly to the primary route, Lisa wanted to see where the other doors would led them. Having Jack come to France unasked, rose the hope to have him here more often. Every now and then he could join her on her European travels. This at least would be a nice start to combine her love to France with the love to him.

"It's been an amazing day.", the tone of her voice had dropped as she sunk more and more into this imaginary life. She knew she was being naïve, but she liked swimming in this pond of fantasy.  
"I'm glad you enjoyed it.", Jack said and his hand patted hers.  
"I hope you did, too."  
"I-", but he was interrupted by the bell at the door. The shrill noise was even more earsplitting now that neither of them had expected it. With frowns on their faces Jack and Lisa turned towards the door as if expecting to see the visitor already standing there. Of course it was still shut, hiding the intruder like a wooden shield. The door bell rang a second time, urging to be answered.  
"Who might that be?"  
"I don't know.", he mumbled, but Lisa was already pushing herself out of the comfortable position that she most probably wouldn't have changed for the night and walked almost a little hesitantly towards the entrance.

"Jane! Hi!", Lisa shouted surprised the moment the door swung open and exposed a tall, thin woman. Her white teeth shone bright in the dim light of the hallway, but were outshone by the blonde tone of the woman's hair when she stepped into the apartment. It was almost whitish and Jack couldn't say if the little lamp to his left gave it a soft colour or if it was in fact white.  
The two friends fell into each others arms.

"What a wonderful surprise!" Lisa laughed and leaned back to examine Jane a bit closer. Expensive looking clothes were hidden under a wide beige trench coat that seemed two sizes too big for Jane's slim figure, but had been chosen on purpose to match the recent fashion. So was the rest of her appearance. With the bright blond hair, that fell straight onto her shoulders, the black pumps and the brand-named purse she could have been a cut-out from one of the fashion magazines that were decorating the apartment like important utensils.  
"You look fantastic!"  
"Oh so do you! As always." Jane's voice was rougher than Jack would have assumed it to be.

"Sorry to come in here like a wrecking ball, Lisa. I figured by the light that you are still here so I thought it would be polite to ring the bell.", Jane apologized and walked further into her home, her eyes already spotting the man that now stood near the coffee table with a smirk on his lips but a inconvenient look in his eyes.  
"Oh don't be silly, Jane. It's still your apartment. And wrecking balls don't ring the bell, are they?", Lisa joked while she was closing the door.

"Sooo...", Jane started and turned slightly back to her friend. A question mark above her head was almost visibly jumping up and down. Of course, she hadn't expected the male company which made Jack feel even more uncomfortable, yet he chose to preempt Lisa who just turned back from the door and searched for words to introduce the two to each other.

"Jack Bartlett. Nice to meet you.", he said, stepped forward and held out a hand to greet Jane.  
"Oh?", it slipped from her lips when she realized who was stand in front of her. Lisa must have told quite a few stories. However, Jack wasn't sure if Jane actually had pictured him the way he stood there in her apartment. Still, she took his hand to shake it and smiled: "Well, isn't that a surprise."  
"Believe me, my response was quite the same, wasn't it Jack?"  
"Quite the same."  
"Lisa, I'm sorry. I really don't want to bother you two. It was stupid to not check on you first."  
"Jane, really it's no problem. We are heading to Toulon tomorrow anyway and I think the apartment is big enough for three people.", she explained and looked at Jack to make sure that he was fine with it, too.  
"If this is okay with you guys.", Jane's eyes moved back and forth between the couple.  
Jack shrugged his shoulders: "I'm just a guest in your home, so you two decide."

"So, you have to tell me everything about your stay in Dubai."  
"Oh I will but not without a glass of wine and when I tell you that I got hold of a bottle of the best wine you will ever drink in your life, I am not lying.", with this Jane drew out a dark green bottle of a paper bag, she still held in her hand.  
"Jane! Are you serious? How did you get one of these?"  
"Well, you know...connections plus a little luck.", she winked while kicking off her shoes that flew against the wall and landed next to the door.

"Are you sure you want to share it with us?", Lisa asked while examining the tag on the bottle.  
"Wouldn't want anybody else to share it with. Size the moment, right?", Jane laughed and made her way towards the sofa.  
"I will get the glasses then?"  
"Yes, thank you Jack. Let's sit down. I have been on my feet too long."

The two women dropped onto the couch and immediately fell into a light and comfortable conversation that was evolving around their work and travels.

When Jack came back with three wine glasses in his hands, he listened to their talk closely, but couldn't contribute much on the matter. He wasn't upset about it. The exhaustion of his own journey was still sitting deep in his bones that ached with every move. It was clear to him that once he was back home at Heartland, he wouldn't leave his place that soon again. Or rather never again. It was too stressful and the more time he spend here in France, the more Jack knew that he wanted to stay close to home as much as possible. He couldn't follow Lisa on her travels and some day he needed to find the time to tell her. She would understand, Jack was sure. However, right now she looked too happy while she was talking about their foot-trip through Paris. That she was still so full of energy surprised him. Perhaps as much as he surprised her walking all day through a crowded and noisy city. Still, his energy was eaten up and joining into her enthusiasm was hard.

After another hour had past and the hour hand of the clock moved constantly further up, Jack hid another yawn behind his hand. It was time to leave the little gathering and turn in for the night. He wasn't playing a big part of their conversation anyway and hadn't followed it for the last ten minutes.  
Jane was just about to fill up his empty glass a second time.

"Thank you, Jane. I think I will go and turn in for the night. As you have already heard, it's been a long day." With a subtle smile he winked at Lisa before getting up.  
"I understand." Jane responded and emptied the wine bottle in hers and Lisa's glasses instead.  
"Okay. You go and get some sleep, honey.", Lisa reached for his hand to ask him for a good-nights-kiss, but he didn't like to create an awkward situation between the three, so he placed a quick peck on the top of her head and briefly rubbed his hands over her shoulders.  
"Good night, Jane and thank you for the fabulous wine.", he nodded at her.  
"You're welcome."

It became quiet for a moment. Lisa sensed that the conversation was changing now that Jack left. He hadn't said much and Jane probably had quite a few questions about him. Questions she would rather ask her friend than Jack himself. The night was still long and Jane didn't seem tired at all.

"Well, isn't he a mystery.", she started while leaning closer for a moment as if she wanted to share a deep secret.  
"Guess he is, but you know...", she turned her head to look after Jack who had already disappeared in the darkness of the small hallway that let to the bedroom. Only the faint glimmer of light at the end of it indicated that he was getting himself ready for bed.

Lisa kind of wished he would have given her a real good-nights-kiss, but she understood his reason to leave it with the little peck. Jack had always tried to keep their relationship as private as possible. Of course, he wasn't keeping it a secret and would also kiss her in public, but generally he tried to be polite and careful. However, his quietness ever since he came to France worried Lisa a bit. He was more withdrawn than usual. Yet, it had been only two days and a night in which he barely got any rest. Hopefully the change of settings when they travelled to Toulon tomorrow would give him some time to relax. It was much quieter over there and the sea air would probably have a therapeutical effect on him. She couldn't wait to spend much more alone time with him in her private residence.

"You love him, right?", Jane already figured and Lisa realized that she had been staring at the hallway much longer than she wanted.

The smirk on her face must have looked really girlish since Jane was trying to hold back an surprised and excited laugh.

"You two are so unlike. How do you make this work, huh?"

"It just works. We share our ups and downs of course, but I love being with him. He makes me happy.", Lisa smiled and took another sip of her wine, her eyes sparkling over the rim of the glass.  
"I can see that."

With care Lisa pushed the door open slowly and sneaked into the dark room. It wasn't completely dark. The street lights sent some dim light through the closed curtains and helped her to find her way over to the bed. She hadn't planned to turn in that late. After all it was already far after midnight, but Jane's sudden return was a great chance to catch up with the good friend. Usually they didn't see each other very often. Jane was travelling much more and further than Lisa did. To her it wasn't just Europe. She spent a lot of time in Asia like India, China, Japan and even Saudi Arabia. They had met at a race about three years back and stayed in touch ever since. Thankfully, Jane let Lisa stay at her apartment whenever she needed it. Yet, this also meant that she was mostly gone before Lisa even arrived and vice versa.

Lisa tried to crawl onto her side of the bed as quietly as she could. Carefully she grabbed the edge of the blanket and slipped underneath it when she realized that Jack was laying partly on the duvet. He must have been rolling around again before finding sleep and accidentally ended up on her part of the blanket.

He grunted sleep drunken when she tried to pull it free.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you.", Lisa apologized but took the chance to draw it over and cover herself with it while tiredly sinking into the mattress. The exhaustion of the day was overcoming her, too now.  
"You're good. What time is it?"  
"Around two. Really sorry. Go back to sleep."

For a moment it seemed that he really had fallen back asleep when suddenly he spoke up again. His voice sounded much more awake than she had expected it to be.  
"So, I make you happy, yes?"

It took her a second to figure out where that was coming from but quickly remembered her little chat with Jane about it.  
"You heard that?"  
"I did."  
She could feel him turning onto his side to look at her, awaiting an answer, but she remained silent for awhile.

It was one thing to tell her friend how she felt about her relationship with Jack, but it was another to talk with him about it. It weren't just the words that left her mouth. It were the emotions, too. The emotions that he was able to set free within her. Telling him meant much more than telling Jane and Lisa wanted to make sure to get it across just the way she felt deep inside.

"Lis'?", he started to get impatient and confused now, but Lisa still was not saying anything until the mattress started moving underneath them again as she turned around to lay on her side too, facing him.  
"Jack," her voice had become quiet now. One hand rested under the side of her head. In the dim light they looked at each other, both of them on their side, head half sunken into the pillow. "I have never been any happier than I am with you."  
Her free hand reached out for his and pulled it closer to press it firmly against her chest. His flat palm rested on the spot of her heart which pounded rhythmically against his skin. She could see him smile but maintaining the intense eye contact.

"I figured that it's been hard for you to travel to France but I want you to know how much it means to me." Her voice had dropped to a faint whisper. The words she spoke were loaded with meaning about the fact that he was here with her. It was a wonderful feeling to know that they could cross borders to be together. Not only the social ones. They had already proven that, but also the geographical borders. The many distances between them had always bothered her a bit. She wanted to spend time with him. As much as she could.

His hand slipped from hers and moved up to cup her cheek before he leaned over to close the gab and kiss her.

The moment she felt his lips upon hers, a tingling sensation went through the lower part of her stomach. If she hadn't known better, she would have blamed it on the wine, but beside the little amount of alcohol that was still running through her veins, she felt the hot emotions boiling up inside of her now.  
Lisa knew that it wasn't the right time to go any further into this with him. They weren't alone in the apartment and after all this time they kinda got used to the seldom chance of intimacy. So, it was okay when they pulled apart, swallowing their desire for each other and postponing it to yet another night. Instead, Jack pulled her closer by the waist and she sunk into his arms. Her face snuggled into his chest. This was her favourite place to be. Her safe place. No other place would give her that warm feeling of security and love.  
Silent thoughts of how to be together with him more often were still crossing her mind when eventually she drifted off and fell asleep for the rest of the night.


	7. Chapter 7

(Another chapter. Yay! Can't believe I actually wrote that one so quickly lol. I was pondering about whose POV I want to keep writing. Usually I switch back and forth between Jack and Lisa and I wanted to do Lisa's POV, but it kinda didn't work, so I stuck with Jack's POV which maybe makes more sense in this story. So yeah... enough of explanation. Enjoy. Thanks for all the kind reviews!)

Chapter 6

Was it wrong to count down days already? Did it make him a bad person? Should he tell her that he was thinking of leaving earlier than planned? Should he at least tell her that he wasn't having the time of his life here? Like she thought he was.

His eyes moved across the room to coincidentally meet hers for a brief moment. She smiled at him before turning back to Brenda who was talking vividly. Lisa nodded a few times and responded every now and then. They were certainly having much more of a conversation than Frank and he did.

They were sitting in two leather arm chairs near a big window that overlooked the backyard of the Walker's house while the two women stood in the open kitchen area, a glass of white wine in their hands. They had planned to prepare a cheeseboard ten minutes ago, but lost themselves in an important talk.

The elderly couple were friends of Lisa's. Two Canadians that moved to France about five years ago to spend their retirement in the Mediterranean countryside - tired of the long and rough winters of Saskatchewan.

The house was small in comparison to the rest of the buildings around this area of Toulon, yet provided enough space for two people to live in. A little garden was attached to it that was surrounded by tall hedges and hid the house like an enchanted cottage. While the outside was somewhat shady the inside was bright and open. One big room included and connected the living room area, dining room and kitchen. The ceiling reached all the way up to the roof and let the room appear bigger than it was in it's actual size. A lot of natural wood was used inside and gave a nice contrast to the white colour of the walls. With the cosy fireplace that involved a round coffee table and the two arm chairs the men were sitting in, it was obvious that the two people living here slipped in some Canadian style that was rather uncharacteristic for the southern-French interior design.

Jack doubted that the winters here would get as strong as they were used to to be in need of a fireplace, but didn't complain about the more familiar feeling of home that the house brought along. However, he would have enjoyed to sit here by himself instead of being constantly talked to by Frank.

The man, around his mid-sixties, was younger than him, yet showed quite a health history. It seemed like Frank was glad to have finally found someone to talk to who was a fellow countryman and more over of the same generation – as if Jack would know all about diabetes, hypertension and rheumatism. He was glad he didn't and realized just now how lucky he had been all this time to be so good in health for his age, despite the arthritis during the cold winter months. Alive and kicking most of the time. The last encounter with a doctor was for his annual check up. Once a year. Frank didn't seem to be that lucky. And he was letting everyone know about it.

The second topic revolved around the differences between Canadian and French politics which however quickly ended up in the healthcare system.  
Of course, this was probably the only field Frank was most experienced in, Jack thought to himself and dared another look to the women behind the kitchen counter, hoping the time to return to Lisa's residence was coming soon. Unfortunately, they had started to cut some cheese and opened another bottle of wine to fill up two glasses for the male company while still talking intensely.

"...don't you agree?", Frank just asked and caught him in the moment of abstraction which made Jack turn his attention back to him. Frank leaned back in his chair which was the only comfortable position for him to sit due to a big belly that sat on his lap like a ball. He wasn't fat but looked rather well-fed and unathletic which wasn't that uncommon for pensioners. Yet, a little bit of exercise would not only help his build but also his health, Jack assumed yet kept this conclusion to himself. Right now he was busy to remember what Frank had talked about and started to stammer about: "Well, ...you know...I-"

"Wine?", the female voice beside him appeared just at the right moment and Jack turned relieved to the side only to see a glass of white wine dancing in mid-air. Lisa, holding the glass towards him, smiled and squeezed his shoulder with her free hand before it slid around his neck as she settled down next to him on the armrest.

"Thank you.", he took the glass from her, a feeling of great relief washing through him, knowing that the two women were joining them now and he was no longer Frank's only dialogue partner.

"So what are you boys up to?", Franks's wife Brenda asked and tried to sound super youthfully. She was much slimmer than her husband and looked somewhat fragile while standing next to him after handing over his drink as well. A lot of jewellery hung from her body and let her appear wealthier than they actually were.

"Oh I just told Jack here about that stupid Doc at the hospital who treated me like-"  
"Oh dear... that story again.", Brenda sighed and Lisa tried to hold back a laugh, her body subtly vibrating against his side.  
"I hope he didn't bored you to death, Jack."

"Yeah death! I could have been dead. They should strip this guy of his medical license.", Frank grunted and his moustache jumped up and down while speaking. This topic obviously hit a sensitive spot in him.

"Sorry Jack, you better don't listen to this coward here. Moaning is the only thing he is good at." Brenda joked, yet Jack was almost sure to pick out a little tone of seriousness behind this mask of sarcasm. Something she had probably learned during the time of their marriage. Jack knew it all too well from his first marriage to Lyndy. She used to make fun of his vices, too, but he always sensed the true annoyance behind it. It was something only long-term couples would understand and maybe even laugh about it together at the end of the day. Brenda and Frank seemed to be just like that. They knew each other well. Maybe the love wasn't that intense like in the beginning but they had built up a strong bond made out of life-long experiences that would get them till the end of their days.

"Sooo, to change the topic of this conversation," Lisa jumped in and winked at them. "Brenda and I thought of sitting outside. Maybe _the boys_,", she made sure to stress the last words to emphasize the fun in Brenda's chosen expressions, "want to join the girls?"

Jack looked up at her. She still sat next to him. In this slightly raised position a light beam that had found its way through the hedges and the window danced over her face and highlighted her features in a stunning way. It kissed her skin and put a golden shade upon it. With the white blouse that fit tightly around her upper body she looked like an angel. She was gorgeous in every way and it was yet another time which made him wonder what brought them together in the first place.

It hit him now like a bolt that she was the youngest in this room. And he was the oldest. The young beautiful girl and the old cowboy. What a match.

His eyes switched back to Brenda and Frank. The retired couple that had built up and shared their lives in a 30-year-old marriage. They decided to sell their home, leave family and friends to move to Europe and spend the rest of their time here. Building up a new life. Together. With new friends.

Jack swallowed hard. A feeling of nausea spread in his guts now. He didn't know if he should still call himself lucky to be a much younger woman's boyfriend. What did they share? Five years in which Lisa was constantly travelling and he resisted to change anything in his life. It took him five years to get himself to step into an air plane and follow her for one week. One week and already thoughts of leaving for home earlier crossed his mind. They shared nothing and most of all in those last five years they hadn't built up anything together yet.

Jack felt bad for counting down days already and decided to not let her know of any of those thoughts that were clouding up his head.

v-v-v-

"You have been pretty quiet today. What's wrong?", Lisa stepped from the bedroom onto the balcony and took a seat on the iron bench next to him.

The soft, warm evening breeze blew through her hair and let a few loose strands dance in the air.  
They had returned to her house about half an hour ago after spending most of the day at Brenda and Frank's place. While she took some time to refresh herself in the bathroom, Jack had walked upstairs to sit outside and enjoy some alone-time. Time to think.

He just shook his head and looked back at the scenery in front of him. The two-storey villa sat halfway up on one of the hills that surrounded the town of Toulon like a wall. From here the view across the town and all the way across the sea towards the horizon was mesmerizing. The sun was just setting and only a small ball of a dark orange colour was still visible behind some clouds. Jack liked it here much better than the French capital. The noises were different too. Less cars, more sea-life. The wind blew the various sounds of the landed ships from the harbour towards them. Seagulls cried while flying across the buildings towards the sunset.

During his life Jack hadn't experienced much sea. The setting was a nice change but he missed the rough mountains of his home, the wide fields, the ranch sides and the thick forests. Everything seemed so petite over here. He wasn't used to it. He didn't fit into it.

A sigh accidentally escaped his mouth and put an unsettled frown upon Lisa's face. He could feel her worried eyes upon him.

"Tell me.", she bluntly requested.  
Another sigh gave him time to think about what to say. Jack didn't want to tell her about his discomfort in France, about his strong homesickness. She was way too happy to have him here. Lisa deserved this kind of happiness because he had put her expectations off by far too long now. Yet, meeting Brenda and Frank made him question everything he had with Lisa and most of all their future together. Jack wanted to have a future with her but only if everything just stayed the same. He hated change. It was hard to deal with it after change had brought so much pain into his life and family.

A side-glance told him that Lisa was still waiting for an explanation. The day wouldn't end without one.

"We've met quite a few people in the last days.", he started cautiously, trying to figure out where to lead the conversation.  
"Yes. So?"  
"Nice people. Good friends of yours."  
The frown deepened, uncertain of the motives that made him speak about her French friends.  
"What do want to say, Jack?"

He turned his head now to look at her. It didn't matter what time it was or in which light she sat, she looked beautiful in everything that surrounded her. The white, tight shirt peeked out from under the beige suede jacket he knew so well. Her hair fell softly onto her shoulders and every now and then was picked up by the wind. The lines on her face however indicated that she was really having a hard time to understand and he needed to choose the next words carefully now.

"Since I came here I keep wondering what on earth makes a woman like you put up with a man like me. It's pretty obvious that we don't share anything at all.", he finally came out and like expected Lisa remained quiet this time. Her frown vanished and left an expressionless look behind.

Had he gone too far with that? He really didn't want to start an argument now. The quietness unsettled him. Maybe it would have been better to keep pretending that everything was hunky dory. They should have this conversation when being back home. Where they could bring a bit space between them to cool off after an hot argument. Here they were glued together 24-hours. Jack didn't know how he could give her some space if she needed it.  
Did she need space now?  
Lisa was still sitting motionless and it was now on Jack to understand. She was thinking. He could tell. The cogwheels behind her forehead worked feverishly. On what – Jack didn't know.

"You're wrong.", she finally said and he listened up.  
"We share something that is much more important and much stronger than all those obvious things people see or think they might see."  
"What's that?", Jack asked.  
"Us.", her hand landed on his thigh.  
"I don't know how to make this clear to you, but I love you, Jack." her words were filled with honesty, "There is nothing and certainly no one that's gonna change it. And...", she smiled and squeezed his leg. "I don't want to have this conversation with you _ever_ again."

"I just can't help thinki-"  
"Shh. No, Jack. Stop. Do you think I would have stayed when you didn't mean anything to me? If you weren't good for me? Believe me, I'm not that desperate.", she slightly winked but returned to seriousness quickly. "I'm staying because I want to. Because with you I have something I never had before. I don't wanna lose it."

Her words made him cringe inside, knowing that with his latest thoughts he wasn't that great of an influence to her. He definitely wasn't, but she had no idea of his homesickness, his consistent hate to travel and the anxiety change brought up in him. Yet, Jack loved her back. For all the same reasons Lisa just mentioned. Except that she didn't have anything to hide. He even loved the way how honest she was. Heck, he was crazy about that woman. Although they hadn't built up anything yet, their love was still intense. So intense that Jack put off his negative thoughts for another time. He couldn't bring himself to disappoint her now. The decision to stay the entire week till the end was made silently at that moment. No matter what.

Lisa leaned closer and athirst for her closeness he met her halfway. They shared a simple but meaningful kiss to seal what was just said. After parting, Jack let his lips slide over the corner of her mouth to place more kisses on her cheek and the spot on her neck right below her ear before pulling her into a firm hug. Yes, he felt a bit dizzy. Not only by the different emotions that came back and forth to him today but also by her. Their love for each other was passionate. Something Jack would have never thought of getting a second time in life. Who would have thought that this relationship turned into such a passion. With every year passing by they got closer and closer together.

Minutes passed when Lisa drew herself from the embrace, looked at him one more time and stood up. Her hand waiting in mid-air to be taken.  
In silence she led him inside. Leaving the balcony and immersing into a room of sheer privacy.

With the fall of the night, the bedroom had turned dark now. The silhouettes of the furniture were still visible and the white curtains of the four-poster bed flew softly in the incoming wind that passed them from behind. A slight shiver ran down his spine which source wasn't hard to tell.  
The time had come and he couldn't waste one more minute to tell her how much he loved her, too.

Yet, the next moment Jack already felt her hands on his chest that started to unbutton his shirt, while she was looking up, her blue eyes still kind of asking for permission to cross the seldom line of intimacy. He took her face in his hands, his thumbs lovingly caressing the soft skin on her cheek on either side. Of course the permission was already given. There was no need of asking. When would they ever get the chance if not here and now? Jack leaned down and captured her lips in a hard kiss that stopped her from fiddling with the front of his shirt. Before she could even get to the end of the button border he had already pushed her backwards to the edge of the bed where they fell softly into the thick layer of sheets. A fall that seemed endless. Jack still felt like falling deeper and deeper into this bed and his arms slid around her body to pull her closer, to hold her in place and keep her safe when they would land on solid ground eventually.


	8. Chapter 8

(Thanks for your really nice reviews on the last chapter :). Here comes the next one. It's shorter but be aware of **love-conent (T-rating)** ;) . If you don't like Jack or Lisa or Jisa or their love or Santa Claus... ignore this chapter (and maybe the entire story...) to all the other ones: enjoy reading!)

Chapter 7

With the first glimpse of sun that shone bright into the bedroom, Jack awoke from his peaceful sleep to a land of white. He looked through the air plane's bullseye window. A carpet of white fluffy clouds spread underneath him. What if he jumped into it? Would it carry him? Would he fall through it? Looking down he realized that he was already surrounded by a vast amount of white. White fabric. His eyes squinted against the brightness of the sun. It took him a while to focus and to remember where he was. Of course he wasn't sitting on a cloud and the memory of the flight to Paris vanished into the background quickly now that he recognized the bedroom of Lisa's house in Toulon.

His head fell to the side and a smile appeared on his lips by recalling the events of the previous evening. The bed sheet that covered him reached all the way to the left side of the bed to hide her body underneath it, too. Lisa lay with her back to him and only one of her bare legs rested motionless against his.

The pictures that were running through his head now were the recent memories of the night they shared in that bed. As always when they found their way together like this it had been emotionally intense.  
Not only in a good way...  
Maybe because they both brought along a previous history which left them in the belief that their time to experience real love had been squandered. Maybe because it felt so unreal to get this second chance with each other. Because it felt like this was the perfect fit you think you would get only once in a lifetime.

Jack sometimes secretly wondered how life would have turned out when they still had got their former life partners but met nevertheless. Would they still have felt that perfect fit with each other? Or would they have been too afraid to allow it to happen? Jack loved Lyndy, but did he love her the way he loved Lisa? It was different. Different and difficult, especially because he wasn't sure if he was allowed to be happier with her than he was with Lyndy.

With a heavy sigh Jack pushed those thoughts back and rolled over to embrace the woman next to him from behind. His hand reached around her and traced down her ankled arm to take her hand that lay on the pillow next to her head. Their fingers intertwined automatically while he snuggled into the crook of her neck that woke her up.

"Mhh... morning.", her voice was a mixture of sleep but also lightness and matched the morning vibe in the bedroom perfectly. The lightness was a welcome reminder to feel young at heart again. It was right to be here and also right to feel happy.  
"Morning.", his voice sounded muffled as he spoke against her shoulder where the aspiration of his breath left a moisten spot on her skin.

In the far distance Jack almost believed to hear the waves of the sea hitting against the shore. Early seagulls welcomed the break of the day with loud and hungry cries. Among them the engines of mopeds that howled through the silence every now and then but disappeared as quickly as they came.

It was the first moment of the France trip in which Jack actually started to feel completely in peace. In this very moment he wished they could stay here forever, never leaving this place. Never letting her go.

The soft breeze that entered through the still open balcony door brushed against his back where the duvet had slipped down during his act of rolling over. Goosebumps raised the hair on his arm, yet were electrified even more by her free hand that stroked slowly up and down along his muscles.

"I could get used to that." her voice had turned to a faint whisper soaked with comfort and pleasure by the light kisses which were placed onto her shoulder and arm.  
"Definitely something to do more often.", he breathed into her ear before pulling her around so she was facing him.

Lisa looked slightly surprised but also amused and excited up at him, knowing that they didn't have to end the night here. They were free this time. The responsibilities lay somewhere outside this bedroom and neither of them was willing to return to them just yet. That was the good thing about housing in this private residence. No pressure to get to work. No pressure to bother anyone else in this house. No pressure to have anybody asking for their whereabouts. It was just them and the entire day that still lay unused ahead of them. They could do whatever they wanted.  
Their lips were already locked into one passionate kiss while her hands flew across his shoulder blades, searching for something to hold on to as he slowly pulled himself up. Nails scratched softly over his skin. His hands buried deep into her hair.

She groaned into the kiss as suddenly the vibration of her cell phone started off followed by the ring tone that made them part eventually.

It took her a moment to catch her breath and settle the emotions that again were spinning in circles through her entire body.  
She swallowed and licked her lips.

"You know, you could just let it ring.", he said, closely watching her.  
"It could be important.", her hand reached for the nightstand now where the phone was still going and screaming for her attention.  
"What is more important than this, huh?" Jack grabbed the outstretched hand to prevent her from taking the call and distracted her by caressing the spot right below her jawbone.

The lightness in his actions this morning was really somewhat unfamiliar but also quite enjoyable and Lisa found herself almost unable to resist it.  
"Jack-", but the noisy tone on her left already died and silence surrounded them again that was only filled by their breathing and the soft rustle of the bed sheets.  
"See. Problem solved."

The slight roll in her eyes made him chuckle. Before they could get back to continue what they started another beeping sound pierced through the room and indicated an incoming message on the cell.

Lisa shot Jack a slight warning glance and determined reached for her phone this time.  
Jack sighed and dared a look onto her mobile as well to see who the intruder to their togetherness was. However, the text was written in French. Only Lisa's annoyed moan let him know that whatever they started was over here now.

"Shoot."  
"What is it?", Jack asked while Lisa slipped her other arm from his shoulder and started to type something into her phone.  
"It's Amanda. I totally forgot meeting David today. She's gonna be here in thirty minutes."  
"Who?"  
"Amanda is a friend. Breeds sports horses. Grand Prix jumpers to be more precise.", Lisa explained while her fingers flew rapidly over the screen of her phone, "We usually go to David's place together to look at his stock.", she went on. "I postponed the meeting to today and she is coming to pick us up."

Amazed by her multitasking ability of texting and explaining at the same time, Jack almost missed what she'd said. Almost.  
"Hold...hold on there, partner. Us?"

After sending the response to Amanda, Lisa put the phone back on the nightstand and looked back up, smiling at him. Her hair was slightly messed up and was spread across the white fabric of the pillow.

"Yeah, you're coming, right?", her hands caressed is arms softly, leaving another track of goosebumps behind.  
"I ...", but he broke off. He didn't want to go anywhere today. Hadn't they seen and met enough in the last couple days? He was tired and could use a day off. Yet, her plans were different. Of course, she wasn't here for vacation. There still was an operation to run and she had to meet people. Keep up the connections and proceed her business affairs. To him it was all new. Having those insights on her European business travels revealed a side which Jack hadn't known yet.

"Come on. Staying here all by yourself isn't an option.", with a last quick peck, she shifted under his body and made him roll back onto the abandoned space of the bed. His hand rubbed his eyes while the mattress moved underneath him when she pushed herself up into a seated position, looking for some clothes to wear.

"Lis...I thought it was just us for today. No more of your fancy people.-", Jack complained.  
"My fancy people?", she snorted amused through her nose and turned back towards him, one arm propped on the mattress. "I thought they were 'nice people'.", she teased referring to last nights balcony-talk.

He moaned and she could tell that he was serious about it. Yesterday's talk had affected him more than she thought.

"Sorry Jack. I really forgot about David. But I promise to make it up to you."  
He looked at her with a crooked smile.  
"Yeah? Can't wait to figure out how you gonna do that." Jack reached up and pulled her down by the neck to kiss her one last time before they would return to that outside world he didn't like.


End file.
